Will of the Clan
by ThomE.Gemcity-06
Summary: This takes place RIGHT AFTER "TWOLEGPLACE". Ed runs after Fireheart and gets serverely in the process. The StarClan appears to save the day!


**a/n: This a sequel based on "Twolegplace", or it really continues straight from "Twolegplace". So to really understand what's going on here, you're going to have to read "Twolegplace" first. If you didn't know this: Fireheart's kittypet name is Rusty! When a cat purrs, it's like a smile - because cats can't smile.**

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><p><strong>Will of the Clan<strong>

Ed looked around him, slightly panicked. He had run after Fireheart; not wiling to let Rusty out of his sights again. Rusty had been Ed first kit and he had only had Rusty for a few months, granted, but that didn't change the fact that he got attached. After he had lost Rusty, he wasn't able to get another kit; it just wouldn't be the same. And now that he had seen Fireheart; there was no way Ed was going to loose him again—he couldn't just take it again.

So Ed had chased after Fireheart and now he was lost.

He had called Fireheart's name as he ran in the direction the tom had run, but he had soon lost sight. Though that didn't derail Ed from his mission; he wasn't going back home until he found Rusty again. He was surrounded by rocks at the moment and he knew that he was definitely lost. He decided to retrace his steps, so he started to climb back up the rock hill.

Ed glanced down as he heard a loose rock tumble down and smack the ground. He paused to catch his breath and wipe the sweat that was collecting on his forehead off. Ed heard the slight hiss as wind blew through long, dry grass. But as he looked around, Ed couldn't see any long grass near by and the fact that he didn't feel any wind against his clammy skin.

Ed froze as he caught movement out of the corner of his eye, and heard the hiss again. But this time he knew it wasn't the wind. His suspicions were confirmed when he felt something wrap around his shin. Scared, he looked down at his leg and sucked in a breath. Wrapped tightly around his leg, was a adder snake — Ed knew that these were very, deadly poisonous.

Ed held still as he tried to calm his heart; he couldn't believe that he never thought something like this could happen. He should have thought before he ran after Rusty; and now he was probably going to die. The venom wouldn't kill him instantly; he may survive if he made it to the hospital. But it would take about two hours to get out to the hospital; and by then, with his heart beat erratic from panic — the venom would have already made it to his heart.

The only thing that Ed could do was stay still and hope for the best — the best being that the adder lost interest and would be on its way. There was rustling of leaves near by and Ed couldn't help but flinch. He gave a sigh of relief when he felt the adder's grip loosen; but when Ed looked down, a sob escaped him. The snake was still wrapped around Ed's leg, but it had reared back its head, mouth open to expose its long and sharp fangs as it readied to bite.

There was the rustling again and just before the adder could plunge its fangs into Ed's leg, he saw a flash of ginger. And the next thing he knew he saw Rusty bite the adder's neck just before it could plunge its fangs into Ed.

Fireheart clamped down, hard. The adder hissed but couldn't twist around in Fireheart's grip, so it tried to lung at Ed's leg. But Fireheart yanked it back, ripping it from Ed's leg. Fireheart back away from Ed as he whipped the adder against the rocks.

The momentum of the yank had teetered Ed though, and he started to fall backwards. He wind milled his arms; trying to regain his balance, but it just propelled him backwards. Fireheart watched in horror as Ed fell backwards down the snakerocks. Fireheart dropped the dead snake from his jaws and rushed down to the ground; he reached it just as Ed crashed to the ground.

It was sickening to watch and Fireheart thought for sure that Ed would be dead. But as he picked his way to the body and gave his face a lick; he heard a raspy groan. Fireheart's tail whipped around happily that Ed was still alive and licked his face roughly; but through this he could smell blood. He took a step back as e felt something warm touch his paws.

Blood was spreading out from under Ed's head.

Through the pain; Ed knew that Rusty had saved him from the adder; even though he had fallen he was grateful. He knew he hit his head, hard and he knew he had definitely broken bones. But he still lifted his arm shakily and searched the air for Fireheart. Fireheart moved into the hand and started to purr, though sadly as Ed slowly worked his fingers through his fur.

His breath was coming in shallow gasps as he stared up into the sky. It was daylight before but it had started quicker than Ed would have thought possible. Or was he just fading? Ed knew that he should panic right now; but he had finally found Rusty, his kit that he had been looking for four years.

Fireheart looked up to the sky, confused. It was supposed to be sun high, but the sky had darkened and Silverpelt had awoken. Fireheart was no clan leader or a medicine cat; but he did know that this was a message from StarClan — it was the only possible conclusion that Fireheart had come to. Were they mad that he had unknowingly brought Ed into ThunderClan territory, or because Fireheart saved Ed from the adder it caused his fall? Fireheart pressed himself against Ed's cheek, taking no heed of the blood that soaked the fur on his paws; maybe he could protect Ed from the StarClan's anger if he did so.

The sun was still in the sky, but the sky around it was dark and filled with stars. A familiar scent floated to Fireheart; it was so faint that he wasn't sure he if he was just imagining things or not.

"_Firehear_t," came the soothing voice of Spottedleaf, the former ThunderClan medicine cat.

Fireheart's head snapped up and he stared straight into the she-cat's soft eyes. The only time that Fireheart had ever talked to Spottedleaf was when he was asleep and he sure as hell wasn't now.

"Spottedleaf," he gasped out desperatly, "You have to save him!"

She gave him a gentle look and that was when Fireheart noticed other cat's that stood in a circle around Ed and himself. Fireheart couldn't make out any of their features; it was as if they were blank shadows — even though they were hardly a few tail legnths away. He looked back at Spottedleaf just in time to see her nod; almost instantly, the faceless cats around him started to move. Fireheart tired to fallow them with his eyes, but in this lighting they were just a blur of movement as they circled him and Ed. Spottedleaf was the only cat that hadn't moved. Fireheart shot a quick glance down at Ed, making sure that he was alive — he was, though Fireheart could tell that it was just barely.

"Fieheart," Spottedleaf grabbed his attention. "StarClan has been watching him, just as we had been watching you. From the moment we saw you, we knew that fire would save the Clans. And from the moment we saw him, we knew that he would save the Four Clans from the destruction of Twoleg's."

Fireheart looked at the she-cat confused. "I don't understand,"

Spttedleaf looked at him with such love and a spark of amusement. "In time, you will." she told him confidently.

"How?" Fireheart asked. "How can Starclan save him when he's a Twoleg and not a cat?"

Spottedleaf gave him a purr of satisfaction. "Then we will just have to change that."

The she-cat flicked the tip of her tail and the faceless cats circled a few more times before one cat split of from the group and leapt at Ed. Before Fireheart could move a muscle, the cat landed on Ed's chest. Ed's mismatched eyes opened wide as he stared into the sky with glazed eyes. Almost at once the cat that had landed on Ed's chest started to sink into him as it touched its nose over Ed's heart. All Fireheart could do was watch in amazement and horror as the tip of its tail disappeared into Ed's chest cavity another cat leapt from the group and landed on Ed's chest, disappearing as it placed its nose over his heart.

This happened at least two-dozen times and each time Ed would let out a gasp and his back would arch. He barley had time to take a shallow breath before another cat disappeared inside of him and he gasped again. Finally, there were no more shadow cats and Ed lay on the rock unconscious. From the slow rise and fall of his chest, Fireheart knew that he wasn't dead, but the didn't stop him from pressing himself close. He found Spottedleaf looking at Ed very intently before her gaze turned to Fireheart. Slowly she started to shimmer and float backwards; Fireheart knew that this was the sign that she was going to disappear — again.

"Pandacrest is his new name and you will call him as such." she meowed. "No one must harm him, Fireheart; not a hair on him!" Spottedleaf hissed with such ferocity that Fireheart blinked in surprise.

He nodded as she disappeared and the sun flared brightly; so brightly that all Fireheart could see was white for the next ten seconds or so. As his vision cleared, the sky turned back to sun high. He looked back down at Ed and took an involuntary step back. Because what lay on the ground in front of Fireheart, wasn't his injured former twoleg owner Ed, but a tomcat that was as big as an apprentice. The cat's fur was as white as the flash from the sun had been, but his front and hind legs were black as well as his tail, ears, and he had two patches of black around his eyes. But what startled Fireheart the most was the fact that in the middle of his forehead, was a black star crest.

Fireheart was watching as. . . Pandacrest's chest slowly rose and fell. He couldn't believe that StarClan had turned a Twoleg into a cat. Ed stretched in his sleep, the pool of dry blood still surrounded him and that was the only thing that kept Fireheart from believing that this wasn't real. Ed blinked open his eyes and looked up at Fireheart, a spark of happiness in his eyes. And it was his eyes — one blue and the other green — and Fireheart knew that without a doubt, this really was Ed.

Fireheart pressed against Ed's side as he sat up.

"Pandacrest," Fireheart meowed hesitantly; Ed looked at him confused. "It's your new name."

"Pandacrest," he repeated. "Is my new name?"

"A new name for a new life." Fireheart purred more confidently this time.

"A new life?"

"Pandacrest," Fireheart paused, not sure what he should say.

"My name is Pandacrest," Ed, now Pandacrest, purred in delight at Fireheart. "And my new life . . . I get to spend with you. Right, Rusty?"

"Yes," Fireheart agreed. "Though my name isn't Rusty anymore, my name is Fireheart." he told the newly turned cat proudly, his chest puffing out.

Pandacrest's chest rumbled as he purred. "I think it suit's you . . . Fireheart."

Fireheart purred back in return, happy that Pandacrest was taking this so well. He had thought that the former Twoleg may have an attack, but with the help of Spottedleaf everything seemed to be okay. Pandcrest wasn't permanently maimed from the fall that Ed had had, and Fireheart felt utter relief for that gift. He didn't know how the StarClan had turned Ed into a tomcat, but he was greatful to them nonetheless.

"Let's get you Home," he said so suddenly that Pandacrest blinked at him with wide eyes.

"Home?" Pandacrest asked nervously.

"Yes," Fireheart nodded, giving Pandacrest's cheek a lick of comfort. "The ThunderClan; it's my Home and now it will be your's."

Pandacrest gave a purr of happiness at that, though he would be glad to be anywhere where Fireheart was.

"This way," Fireheart instructed, pointing his nose to the trees.

And Pandacreast was off, just like an eager apprentice Fireheart noted, his heart going out to the kit. The way that he walked made him seem like a baby-fresh kit, taking his first steps. They weren't precise, and his wobbled on his paws, his steps big and deliberate.

Fireheart picked up his pace, wanting to be at Pandacrest's side so that nothing happened. He was nervous about going to the ThunderClan, Pandacrest at his side; fearful of what the other cats might think—especially Tigerclaw, Fireheart knew the Lieutenant was going to be trouble, he always was. But he knew that Bluestar would understand and Spottedleaf would have already told her about Pandacrest; and if Bluestar knew and understood, then she'd make the others too.

Because he couldn't help himself and found it hard to believe still, he brushed up against Pandacrest's side. It would take him a little longer than a minute to really comprehend the fact that Ed, his kittypet owner, was now a tomcat himself. Every few tail swishes, he would look at Pandacrest just to make sure. But he knew in the end that this was what the StarClan wanted, and it sat right in his heart.

_te?_

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><p><strong>note: I was going write more than this, but I'm kind of out of date with the facts on Warriors. I actually started to write this right after I finished "Twolegplace", but then I kind of got stuck. So I finished it on the weekend, and made it a one-shot-sequel -though I may contue this eventually.<strong>

**I hope that you review and enjoyed.**


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